


Green-Eyed Monster

by ashtraythief



Series: Underneath 'verse [35]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternative Universe - FBI, Don't copy to another site, Jealous Jensen Ackles, Jealousy, M/M, Rough Sex, Topping from the Bottom, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:48:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21608572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashtraythief/pseuds/ashtraythief
Summary: It takes Jensen a moment to realize that the hot, coiling feeling in his stomach is jealousy.Jared is an asshole and Jensen punishes him for it.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: Underneath 'verse [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/161699
Comments: 185
Kudos: 554





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Underneath Prompt meme. For everyone who wanted jealous Jensen for a change. Many, many thanks to keep_waking_up for brainstorming and handholding and to ilikaicalie and masja_17 for their wonderful betawork and making this all pretty.

When his job wrapped up earlier than he’d thought, Jensen was happy. Instead of meeting for dinner, his fence pushed their meeting to the morning and Jensen was able to catch an early evening flight out of L.A. He landed in O’Hare just before midnight. He threw Willy a fridge magnet—a bunch of interstate road signs stacked on top of each other—and asked him to drive to the Nine. Jared was out partying with the guys and Jensen didn’t see why he shouldn’t join them, have a couple of drinks, talk and laugh, and then make out with Jared in the car on the way home.

Unfortunately, that was not how it went.

Jared and the guys were in their usual booth in the back of the club, where the music was quiet enough for conversation and curious onlookers couldn’t spy on them. Jared was sitting in the middle of the semicircle couch, surrounded by his crew. Next to him, plastered to his left side where Jensen usually sat, was a guy. A young guy with a lot of gel in his light hair and a tight, deeply cut v-neck. He was laughing at Jared, touching his shoulder, and Jared was smiling back at him.

Jensen had been away on a job, and Jared had gone out to party with a fucking twink almost climbing into his lap. Jensen didn’t have to guess how that had happened.

Chad was surrounded by his usual gaggle of barflies; Mike had a woman sitting in his lap. Even Misha had come out with them, but he was talking to Rachel. Ever since the wedding they’d had a very loose thing going on that Jensen didn’t know the details of, but he didn’t ask. They seemed happy enough with whatever it was. It seemed Aldis and Beth had finally settled things, because they were being all lovey-dovey—well, as lovey-dovey as they were capable of, which meant that Aldis was looking at her adoringly while Beth talked with a gleam in her eyes, probably describing her latest car chase. Gen was at the bar, talking to a tall attractive guy who’d apparently just bought her a drink.

Gen usually left the booth to find a guy—a group of dangerous-looking guys didn’t exactly invite come-ons—and Mike settled early on whoever he wanted to pick up that night. Which left Chad. He tended to just pick up a whole group and then hand off the friends it didn’t work out with to whoever was playing wingman. Usually, that was Jensen. Tonight, it was Jared.

Jared, who was enthroned in the middle of the couch, in his usual laid-back sprawl, legs open wide, a tumbler of whiskey dangling from one hand, the other resting on the back of the couch. And there, right next to him, under the casually possessive slope of his arm where Jensen usually leaned in, was the little twink.

He was exactly the kind of guy Jared had fucked before Jensen. Jensen knew because he’d seen all the pictures before he started his assignment. The guy was probably somewhere in his mid-twenties, with blonde hair stylishly swept to the side and a cute face. He was enthusiastically talking to Jared, gesticulating and touching him way more than necessary. Which was not at all. He was probably a friend of the women Chad had hit on, and as the wingman, Jared had picked up the conversation. It wasn’t that Jensen had never made friendly conversation with a gay friend of Chad’s nightly conquest, but he’d never flirted, because A) he didn’t really want to, not when he had Jared at home, and B) because he didn’t want a body on his hands as soon as Jared found out about it.

Jared, it appeared, had no such qualms.

He was listening with an indulgent smile that meant he wasn’t really listening at all, but his eyes were fixed on the little twink with an expression that Jensen knew pretty well. And he’d thought that he was the only one who’d gotten to see that particular look in the last three years.

His stomach was tight; his hands balled into fists. Jensen wanted to go over there, drag the little twink out of the booth, and slam his head into the railing until his cute face was bloody and contorted in agony. It took him a moment to realize that the hot, coiling feeling in his stomach was jealousy.

Jensen froze. He kept staring at the scene, as the twink talked and Jared watched him. For the first time since he’d started this thing with Jared, he was jealous.

In all the time they’d been together, Jensen never had any reason to be jealous, hadn’t even needed to consider it. Jared had always been the one chasing him; he had never really hidden how much he wanted Jensen and had fought with every trick in the book to get him and then to keep him. Jensen was the first man he’d ever wanted to marry and Jensen always had been acutely aware of his special status in Jared’s life. Jared had never even so much as looked at another guy—at least not when Jensen was around.

Seeing him now, with this guy sitting in Jensen’s spot, Jensen wondered if maybe this wasn’t a new thing. If Jared always had another guy by his side when Jensen wasn’t there.

Maybe now that they were married, now that Jensen was staying, now that Jared didn’t have to chase him anymore, maybe now Jared had become bored. Jensen had built their whole relationship on the chase, on his reluctance and elusiveness. Maybe now when that was gone, Jared’s interest was waning. Or maybe he’d never lost his taste for the chase and since he didn’t need to chase Jensen anymore, he got it somewhere else.

As suddenly as it had come, Jensen’s rage for the guy next to Jared abated. This wasn’t on him. Yeah, maybe he should have seen the ring and backed off, but this was Jared’s doing. This was Jared flirting with a guy that was not Jensen.

For a moment Jensen debated whether the smart move would be to go home, pretend this had never happened and not rock the boat. Come up with a strategy to keep Jared’s interest fresh, make sure he was happy in their relationship. But Jensen pushed the analytical voice in his brain aside. They’d been together for three years. They were married. Strategy hadn’t been part of this aspect of the equation for a long time.

He stalked up to the booth. Mike saw him first, and his eyes widened in worry. Oh yeah, they’d all get an earful too, the fucking traitors.

Chad muttered out a “fuck” when Jensen passed him, but Jensen ignored him too. He walked up to Jared and the guy and stopped right in front of them.

Jared looked up at him, surprise in his eyes.

Jensen snorted and turned to the guy, who just looked confused.

“Leave,” Jensen said.

“What?” The guy looked from Jensen to Jared and back to Jensen.

Jensen held up his hand, fingers spread so the ring was unmissable. “He’s married. To me. So you better fuck off now before I decide to take my anger out on both of you.”

The guy’s mouth opened, but he closed it again without making a sound. He shot a scared and hurt look at Jared, who just shrugged.

The guy scrambled to his feet and ungracefully stumbled out of the booth, so careful not to brush up against Jensen that he almost fell over Chad’s legs in the process.

Jensen turned to Jared. “Surprise, babe. Got back early.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Jared said, his face carefully neutral.

“What the fuck was that?”

Jared raised his hands. “Just a friendly conversation.”

“A friendly conversation?” Jensen asked incredulously.

“Yeah, I was just being a good wingman for Chad.”

Chad let out a quiet “Ah shit.”

Jensen turned to him with raised eyebrows.

The woman next to Chad was watching them with narrowed eyes, then got up. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna go.”

“Wait, Kylie—”

She glared daggers at Chad. “It’s Kimberly.”

“Oh, come on,” Chad said exasperatedly, “With the noise of the music in here…”

But she was already gone.

“I see you two have been on your best behavior tonight,” Jensen bit out.

Jared reached for his hand. “Sweetheart—”

Jensen jerked back. “Don’t you fucking touch me. You were fucking flirting with that little twink.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. You know this wasn’t serious.”

Jensen couldn’t believe the gall. The fucking hypocrisy. “Imagine for one fucking second that it had been me talking to a guy like that. That it had been some guy’s grabby hands all over me.”

Jared’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, already pointing a finger at Jensen before he could stop himself.

“Yeah, thought so.” Jensen scoffed. “You’re such a fucking hypocrite.”

Jensen turned on his heel and walked out of the booth. Over the sound of the music, he could hear Jared calling his name, but he was too mad to stop.

Jared was probably being truthful; it didn’t mean anything. Jared had started playing wingman and then just stuck around to get his ego stroked. Probably. It probably didn’t mean anything. And yet.

The security guard posted at the clubroom’s back door didn’t say anything when Jensen stormed past him. They always came and left through the back.

He made his way through the back corridor specifically set aside for Jared and his crew’s use and fumbled his phone out of his pocket, almost dropping it before he could press speed dial two.

“Yes.” Willy’s voice was calm, but Jensen heard the slight surprise in it.

“Are you close?” Jensen asked.

“Still in the parking lot.”

“Good. I’m going home.”

“Of course.”

Jensen pushed the door open with more force than necessary and crossed the back parking lot. There were two SUVs there, his and Jared’s. Willy and Winston were standing next to their cars, having a smoke.

They both kept their faces neutral, but Jensen saw their eyes flicker toward each other. Jensen didn’t care. He doubted that anything happened in his relationship with Jared that these two didn’t know about.

When he’d almost reached the car, the door behind him slammed open and thunked against the wall.

“Jensen!”

Jensen didn’t turn around.

“Jensen! Don’t you fucking walk away from me!” Jared shouted.

Jensen reached the cars. “Take me home,” he said to Willy. “ _Now_.”

Willy only looked at Jared for a split second, before he threw his cigarette away, opened the car door for Jensen, and said, “You got it.”

Jensen got in and Willy closed the door behind him.

“Stop!”

But Willy didn’t stop. He got into the car with his usual stoic expression—maybe a little tighter around the eyes—and started the engine. He’d parked in reverse, so he just needed to accelerate the car and they were off.

Jensen leaned back into the seat. “Thank you. I know that—”

“Mr. Campbell,” Willy said, his voice unwavering. “I am your driver.”

Jensen squeezed his eyes shut, then sat up straight. “I know. But he’s the boss, he pays your bills.”

“To be _your_ driver,” Willy said. He looked at Jensen through the rearview mirror. “Besides, you coming home early, storming out of the club like that… I don’t want to overstep, Mr. Campbell, but you say you need a ride home, then you need a ride home.”

Jensen let out a weak laugh. “You know, you used to be mad at me whenever Jared and I fought.”

Willy’s expression was definitely disapproving now. His lips were slightly pursed. “Yeah, well, that was when you were being stupid. Now the boss is the stupid one.”

Jensen pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes, then he huffed out a breath. “So stupid.”

Willy grumbled his agreement.

Jensen’s phone started vibrating in his pocket. He took it out to see Chad’s name flash across the screen. He rejected the call. For the rest of the ride, the car was quiet.

When he came home, Willy insisted on helping him with his luggage even though Jensen only had a carry-on and a laptop bag. He’d left everything in the car and told Willy to drive him directly to the Nine when he’d gotten him from the airport.

“Thank you,” Jensen said quietly. “I’m going to make sure there are no repercussions.”

Willy nodded. He took a step towards the car, then hesitated. “Winston’s still at the club,” he said softly.

Jensen nodded. “Thanks.”

Willy’s face did something curious. An encouraging smile, maybe. That big softie.

Jensen couldn’t help but smile. “Have a good night, Willy.”

“You too, Mr. Campbell.”

The house was quiet. Jared wasn’t following. Well, he did have his pride. And the times when Jared had to chase him to make sure he stuck around had been over for a while. Jared knew that Jensen wouldn’t leave over this. It was comforting, that he finally believed Jensen, but that he didn’t make the effort when Jensen was spitting mad...

“Fuck.”

Jensen walked over to the stairs, then stopped. Up there was their room, their bed. Even though it was stupid Jensen couldn’t stop himself from wondering who’d slept in there besides him these past years.

Instead of going upstairs, he went downstairs to put his gear away. His climbing rig, the lockpick set hidden inside the lenses of an expensive camera to get through airport security, his work laptop. The storage room he’d converted into his planning room was a mess. It was one a.m. on a Friday night and Jensen started organizing. The wine cellar was across from his room, and Jensen took one of the more expensive bottles that Jared kept for special occasions. Petty, maybe, but then again, this was a special occasion. The day Jensen had caught Jared flirting with another guy. Jensen was entitled to one of the good bottles for having to see that. He pulled up his workout playlist and started cleaning up.

When Jensen had organized every shelf and every box, he pulled up the plans Traci had sent him. She was planning a heist into a CEO’s well-protected office to steal an ancient coin collection. Breaking into Jared’s office years ago had only solidified Jensen’s reputation as a high-rise specialist, so Traci had asked him for his opinion. He didn’t mind; it was one of his favorite ways to pull a heist. Traci’s job had been a little too high-profile and risky, but tonight, Jensen needed something to take his mind off things. Even if he couldn’t go on the actual heist, he could still charge a consulting fee.

At some point, there was noise from the stairs. But it wasn’t heavy steps, just claws clicking on the floor. Sadie sleepily poked her head in.

“Hey, girl. Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”

She ambled over to lick his hand and get her head scratched. Then she sat down next to him, watching him curiously.

Jensen sighed. “Don’t judge me. Your daddy was an ass, okay?”

Sadie was not impressed.

Jensen rubbed his face with both hands. Clearly, he was going insane. But he also wasn’t making any headway with the heat sensors in the room and he was feeling the wine—the bottle was almost empty—so he might as well stop.

“C’mon, Sadie, it’s bedtime for good dogs.”

He slowly climbed the stairs, Sadie following on his heels.

When he reached the foyer, the front door opened and Jared came in. They both froze, staring at each other. Sadie ignored the tension in the room and bounded over to Jared. He leaned down to pet her, but his eyes stayed on Jensen. Smart move, not turning his back on Jensen right now.

Seeing Jared and the rumpled state of his shirt, the top two buttons undone like someone had had his hands all over him, Jensen wanted to kill him.

“I’m going to go to bed,” Jensen said coldly. “Upstairs. I suggest you spend the night with the dogs. Less chance of getting murdered in your sleep.”

Jensen turned on his heels and walked upstairs, hand clutching the railing. Harley ambled in from the living room where the dogs slept most nights when Jared and Jensen weren’t home to go to bed on time and let them sleep in the bedroom.

Walking up the stairs, Jensen could hear Jared’s voice, soft and low, talking to his dogs, but when Jensen reached the upstairs landing, he heard Jared follow him. Unbelievable.

Jensen walked into their bedroom and slammed the door shut. He had never exiled Jared before. Instead, he had exiled himself in the beginning when he’d had a reason to be mad and keep Jared on his toes. But now, he was legitimately seething and Jared, the fucking traitor, had no business sleeping in their marriage bed tonight.

When Jensen was pulling off his clothes, pointedly ignoring his usual sleep shirt, which was one of Jared’s Stanford shirts, the bedroom door opened.

Just in his briefs, Jensen turned around. “Get out.”

Jared had lost his jacket, leaving him in dark jeans and a light blue shirt, completely unbuttoned now. His hair was slightly mussed, darkened with sweat and carelessly pushed back, a wayward strand falling into his face. Any other night, it was a look that would lead to Jensen immediately jumping him. But tonight, Jensen’s arousal was dark and vicious.

“Jensen.” Jared’s voice was calm and serious. At least he knew he’d crossed a line. “Nothing happened. And even if you hadn’t shown up, nothing would have happened. I have never been unfaithful to you, never.”

“Most people would have led with ‘I’m sorry,’ you know.”

Jared’s face hardened. Jensen could count the times he’d heard Jared say the actual words on one hand, and he knew that this wasn’t the way to get an apology from Jared. He didn’t care. It wasn’t even that he didn’t believe Jared; right now, Jensen was hurt and angry and he just wanted a fight.

“I have nothing to be sorry for,” Jared said. Then he started taking off his shirt. He didn’t walk over to their closet where they kept the hamper, he stood in the middle of the room, tall and proud and just slowly undressed, never taking his eyes off of Jensen.

It was a display of strength and power, and when he opened his belt and pulled down the zipper of his pants, it was a challenge.

“If it had been me tonight...” Jensen said because he needed to distract himself from the bulge in Jared’s dark briefs. Wine always made him horny.

“That’s different,” Jared said, letting the jeans slide down and stepping out of them. “You belong to me.”

“And you don’t belong to me?”

Jared pulled down his briefs, stood tall, dick already hardening between his legs. “I have a reputation, sweetheart.”

Jensen narrowed his eyes. “So do I, asshole. You might rule this city, but I am not your fucktoy or your arm candy.”

With three long steps, Jared was in front of him, gripped his hip and his neck. “Never said you were.”

He leaned down to kiss Jensen, slow and sensual, coaxed his lips open, just how Jensen liked it when he was making Jared work for it. But this wasn’t that. This wasn’t a playful scene where Jensen wanted to get wooed and worshipped because it turned him on.

He bit Jared’s lip, hard, and as Jared pulled back with a curse, Jensen got one hand on his shoulder and one against his chest. With a leg between Jared’s, he spun them around, pushing Jared down onto the bed.

Jared’s eyes widened in surprise, but Jensen didn’t give him time to breathe. He pushed off his underwear and then climbed on top of Jared.

“Fuck you, Jared. This is a partnership. Equals. There are no different standards here for anything. And the things you don’t want me to do, you don’t get to do either.” Jensen put his hands flat on Jared’s chest, pushed him down into the mattress. “You think you’re the only one who’s possessive? The only one who doesn’t want anyone else touching what’s theirs?”

Jared opened his mouth, but Jensen leaned down and cut him off with a kiss, hard and bruising, a hand in Jared’s hair to pull him however he wanted him. It was sloppy and hot, and Jared’s hands were sliding over his back and ass, unable to settle on one spot until he finally tried to pull Jensen down into his lap. But Jensen stayed where he was, kneeling over Jared and took his chin into his hand.

“Up,” he ordered, pushing back so Jared would get the message.

With narrowed eyes, Jared got up on his elbows and moved up on the bed. Jensen followed him on all fours, bracketing Jared’s hips between his knees. He leaned over to the side to get the lube. When Jared reached for it, Jensen batted his hands away.

“How about you keep your grabby hands to yourself for a while?”

The muscles in Jared’s jaw twitched, but he raised his hands in a hands-off gesture. Jensen smiled smugly, raised himself up, and reached behind to open himself up. He was swaying a little, the wine making him lightheaded, and for a moment, he got lost in the smooth glide of his fingers and the pleasant stretch.

Jared leaned back, interlaced his fingers behind his head, and watched Jensen with a pleased little smile. “This is a nice show.”

“It’s gonna get even better.” Jensen didn’t let Jared rile him up because he knew as soon as he was ready to take Jared’s dick, Jared would be unable to keep his hands off him. And then the fun would really start.

He could feel Jared getting impatient, raising his hips to rub his dick along Jensen’s thighs and balls. Jensen would have loved to draw out the torture, but he was strung out himself and he wanted Jared’s dick in his ass now.

He reached for Jared, enjoyed the girth and got him slick. Then he guided the tip of Jared’s cock against his opening and slowly sank down. Jared was surprisingly well behaved—until Jensen was almost all the way down and then Jared snapped his hips up, driving deep into Jensen.

Jensen gasped, arching back and bracing himself on Jared’s thighs. Jared’s hands landed on his hips to hold him tight, and Jensen knew if he didn’t want Jared to take control now, he had to do something. He gripped Jared’s hands, interlaced their fingers, and used his weight to fall forward, pressed their hands into the mattress.

“Behave,” he said quietly. “This is my show.”

Jared turned his head and bit into the sensitive skin on the inside of Jensen’s wrists. “You sure that’s what you want? Not me fucking you into the mattress? C’mon, sweetheart. Let me take you apart, let me worship you.”

As tempting as that was, Jensen couldn’t just let Jared have this. So he raised himself slowly up and down again, savoring the stretch. “It’s a good sales pitch, babe, but not tonight. Tonight, you do penance.”

Jared grumbled something, but Jensen paid him no mind. Instead, he focused on the feeling of Jared’s dick deep inside of him. He sat up fully and started moving, finding the right angle, the right range of movement, the right speed. He didn’t pay Jared any attention, just used his cock to get himself where he needed to be right now. He didn’t know how much time passed, mind hazy with wine and pleasure, just chased the satisfying pressure right across his sweet spot, the way the head of Jared’s dick caught on his rim, how full Jensen felt when he sat down all the way.

He was almost in a trance, until Jared sat up, trying to kiss Jensen’s throat. Jensen put a hand in the middle of Jared’s chest and pushed him back down into the sheets. “Stay.”

Jared’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t move.

Slowly, Jensen raised himself up, let Jared slip out. Jared’s eyes narrowed.

Jensen grinned. “Should have listened when I told you not to move.” He dragged his ass along Jared’s hard cock, but when Jared pushed up his hips, Jensen pulled back. Hovering just inches over Jared’s cock, he looked down at him. “You gonna behave now?”

Jared clenched his jaw. Good enough.

Jensen took him in again, easy now that he was relaxed and open. He was tired and drunk, and Jared’s dick felt so fucking good. He was almost high on Jared’s submission and he gripped his own cock and started stroking himself, heedlessly chasing his own orgasm. Jared was panting hard, hands tight on Jensen’s thighs and the muscles of his arms straining with barely-there restraint. The frustration and the heat in Jared’s eyes were what sent Jensen over the edge.

He came hard and fast, head spinning and muscles locking up, steadying himself on Jared’s heaving chest while he rode out the aftershocks. His body relaxed, limbs growing heavy and his mind pleasantly fuzzy, and he just wanted to sleep. He pulled off and fell down next to Jared.

Jared followed him, reached for his shoulder, and the possessive grip reminded Jensen of what he’d seen tonight. The rage and hurt came back violently.

Jensen batted Jared’s hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jared bit out.

Jensen rolled over to reach for a tissue to clean himself up and threw an extra one at Jared. “You have two good hands, use one of them.”

There was a moment of tense quiet where Jared didn’t move.

“If you touch me, I’m gonna punch your fucking dick,” Jensen said, carefully enunciating every word. “You don’t get to flirt with a random club twink and expect me to get you off the same night.”

The air was thick enough to cut with a knife, but then there was the telltale sound of Jared jerking himself off.

“You better be thinking about me, asshole,” Jensen said.

“Trust me,” Jared ground out. “There’s no one else. Just you, naked and tied up, and me, beating your ass raw.”

“Hmm. Maybe some other time. A little bit of spanking might be fun.”

Jared groaned, his hand speeding up.

Jensen grinned into the pillows, then closed his eyes and fell asleep to Jared’s strained breathing.

Jared woke early, already in a bad mood. Right. Jensen had made him finish off alone last night, because—because he’d caught Jared talking to some guy at the Nine. Fuck.

It hadn’t even been a great conversation and the guy hadn't been above-average cute. Jared had just wanted to pass the time while his friends flirted and the guy had looked at him with wide-eyed adoration and he’d been so eager. It wasn’t anything that could hold Jared’s interest for longer than an hour, but it was an adequate thing to pass the time. Of course the one time Jared indulged for more than five minutes, that was when Jensen came home early.

Jensen was still sleeping, and for a moment Jared debating waking him up with his mouth, but he’d done enough penance last night. He wasn’t in the mood to keep groveling, which he’d definitely have to do if he woke Jensen now. Better to let Jensen wake up on his own, miss Jared’s warm body, and remember that he’d already punished Jared.

So Jared got up quietly. Sadie was still sleeping next to the bed, and Harley was nowhere to be found. Right, they hadn’t closed the door last night. The dogs came in whenever they weren’t explicitly told to stay out. Sadie woke while Jared went into their closet and put on some workout clothes.

She followed him down and he gave the dogs breakfast, then worked out in the basement. He still felt antsy, full of a nervous kind of energy, so he took the dogs on a run too. He stopped halfway through, threw their balls for them and then played tug of war with a stick he found along the forest trail. He realized he was stalling and berated himself for being a coward. He had nothing to be afraid of. Then again, just because Jensen wouldn’t leave him didn’t mean it wouldn’t be unpleasant. Jared sighed and collected the balls. It was time to face the music.

When he got back, Jensen was still asleep. Jared showered downstairs so he wouldn't wake him and had Sam make a big breakfast. He took his time getting dressed and sitting down, slowly smearing a bagel.

This was usually when Jensen joined him. It was eleven fifteen, which was late even for Jensen. But Jared couldn’t help but wait. He needed Jensen to come to him.

At eleven twenty-three, Jensen came down the stairs. He was showered and fully dressed, jeans and a dark henley, he’d shaved down his stubble, and his hair was gelled.

Shit.

Jensen always had breakfast in whatever boxers and shirt he’d slept in, maybe a pair of sweatpants depending on the weather. Even though the house was almost at the same temperature at all times of the year, Jensen’s breakfast attire was in tune with the weather outside. If it was hot or sunny, Jensen wore briefs and a shirt. Cool and cloudy, and he put on sweats or PJ pants. And whenever it rained or snowed, he stole one of Jared’s hoodies. Preferably his Stanford ones.

Jensen knew that Jared loved seeing him in his clothes, even though Jared wasn’t sure how Jensen had picked up on the fact that Jared got an extra kick from seeing Jensen in his Stanford clothes. There was just something about his Stanford degree—a legit fuck you to his family and the police—that gave Jared a special kind of pride. And seeing Jensen, a world-class master thief acknowledge that—but maybe Jensen had just observed something in Jared’s expression that made him usually choose those clothes. The manipulative bastard always picked his clothes carefully. Just like his cozy breakfast attire usually said ‘I’m soft and warm and all yours, don’t go to work, take me back to bed,’ his polished look right now told Jared louder than any words that Jensen had not forgiven him for last night.

It wasn’t entirely a surprise. Jensen had held grudges longer for far lesser things but still. But that had been in the beginning. Things had gotten calmer in the last two years. And Jared had hoped that after last night, Jensen’s fury might have abated. Apparently not.

He expected Jensen to just leave, but instead, he sat down at the breakfast table and poured himself a cup of coffee. He went through his usual heart-attack-in-a-cup coffee routine without making a sound.

Of course, he’d make Jared take the first step. But if he thought Jared would continue to grovel after last night, he had another thing coming. This was ridiculous. But saying that out loud wouldn’t get Jared anywhere.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Jared said, trying to keep his voice soft.

Jensen looked at him, expression unreadable. “Morning, babe,” he said pleasantly.

If he didn't know that Jensen didn’t use violence for his job, Jared would be worried about getting a knife to his throat.

“Sleep okay?” he asked carefully.

“Just peachy.”

The silence stretched. Jared knew that Jensen was making him wait, he knew that deliberate silence was a negotiation technique, and he’d never caved to that kind of bullshit, but dammit, Jensen was taking it too far. It wasn’t like Jared had even done anything.

“Sweetheart…”

“Yes?” Jensen tilted his head and there was something incredibly cold and calculating in his eyes.

Jared sighed. “I told you, nothing happened.”

Jensen drew his head back, his eyebrows arching sharply.

“I don’t get how you can think I’m lying to you.”

“I don’t think you’re lying.”

Jared threw his hands up. “Then what the fuck is your problem? So I flirted a little. Don’t tell me you never do that. Flirting is practically your default setting.”

“That’s different,” Jensen hissed. “I don’t flirt, I tease, and I do it with you right beside me and everybody knows I’m yours, no matter how much I smile at someone else. But you, last night, with that twink…”

“Is it the age thing?” Jared asked incredulously, because Jensen was four years older than him, not that Jared had ever given two shits about that. The moment Jensen’s lips pulled in a snarl Jared knew it wasn’t, but now that he’d brought it up…

“Is it?” Jensen spit out.

“No, of course not. But I don’t get why you’re so mad over such a little thing.”

“Little thing?” Jensen exploded. “How do I know this was a little thing, huh? How do I know you would have stopped at just flirting?” Jensen stood up so fast, his chair wobbled precariously. “How do I know it was only this once, huh? Maybe you make a habit out of it. Maybe every time I’m gone you have a different guy warming your side.”

Jared got up and advanced on Jensen. “Of course I don’t.”

Jensen evaded him. “Well, you sure as shit don’t sit at home, being sad because I’m not here. Instead, you go out and chase after some new little thing because you know I’ll come back anyway.”

Jared stared at Jensen. Since when did Jensen expect him to sit at home when Jensen was gone? And how dare Jensen accuse him of chasing after a random guy in a bar?

“Okay, one, that guy practically threw himself at me,” Jared said.

Jensen stabbed a finger at him. “Not helping.”

“And two,” Jared continued, “why would I even want to go through the hassle of chasing some random barfly?”

Jensen threw his hands up. “I don’t know, you tell me. It’s your fucking M.O.”

“My M.O.?”

Jensen stood there fuming and Jared got the feeling that he was really missing something. Usually, he had a pretty good grasp on Jensen’s emotions, could read him like an open book, but now...

 _Instead, you go out and chase after some new little thing because you know I’ll come back anyway_ , Jensen had said. There was something in there that Jared should understand. Knowing he’d come back. Chasing was his M.O.

It finally clicked and Jared wanted to laugh, it was so absurd.

“What, you think because I don’t have to chase you anymore, I’m _bored_?”

Jensen shot him a look that was equal parts furious and exasperated. “Jared, the only reason our relationship happened at all is because you’re like a dog with a bone and wouldn’t stop chasing me even though I made it absolutely clear that I was not interested in a long-term relationship.”

Jared raised his eyebrows. “Okay, first of all, I wouldn’t have gone after you so hard if I didn’t know that I had a shot, sweetheart. You might have been a prickly bastard, but I knew you had a soft spot for me.”

Jensen had the nerve to roll his eyes. Jared just wanted to fuck him across the table.

“And secondly, if you think for one second that life with you ever could be boring, I don’t really want to know what you think is exciting. Wait, actually I do know. So maybe just consider that my kind of excitement isn’t dangling off a fifty-story building. I don’t need that kind of adrenaline.” He reached for Jensen, and this time Jensen didn’t push him away. “You’re all the adrenaline I need, okay?”

Jensen yielded, letting Jared pull him in and kiss him. For about two seconds. Then he jerked back. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this just because you’re saying some romantic shit.”

Jared couldn’t help but smile. “Sweetheart—”

Jensen poked a finger into his chest. “I swear to god, Jared, you don’t get to flirt, not like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re interested.” Jensen glared at him. “And don’t even try to deny it, you were interested.”

Jared pursed his lips. Jensen really believed that. “I never thought you’d be so insecure.”

“What?” Jensen sputtered.

“Baby, you’re the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Your face is a work of art.” Jared cupped Jensen’s face with his hand and dragged his thumb along his bottom lip. “Even if I didn’t love you like crazy, why would I want anyone else when I can have you?”

Jensen opened his mouth, closed it again. He swallowed, then said, “Because they’re new, exciting. Because sex with a guy like that is better than no sex.”

Jared let out a laugh. “I don’t know, I think you might have ruined me for anyone else. Look, Jensen, I don’t know how to tell you this, but with you, it’s more than just a good fuck and I don’t want anything else. You’ve been all I need for the past three years and I don’t see that ever changing. That guy, last night, it was fun, yeah. He was very adoring. It was a nice ego boost. But it was nothing but a diversion. A way to pass the time while Chad was flirting with that girl. I would have been bored after an hour anyway.”

Jensen raised his chin. “Yeah, well, I don’t like it.”

Jared opened his mouth, but Jensen put a finger against it. “I’m not saying you can’t talk to other guys, or maybe even flirt with them. But you’re not touching them and you don’t look at them like you’re thinking about it.”

“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Jared said against Jensen’s fingers.

“I don’t care. You don’t get a say in this.”

“Oh, I don’t?”

“No. What you did last night, it was too far. Too far for me. So. Don’t do it again.” Jensen’s lips pulled into a sneer. “Because you don’t want to see my retaliation.”

He was right, he wouldn’t. And Mike would be seriously put out if he had to clean up a murder scene because Jared had seen Jensen revenge-flirt with someone else.

“Fine. I’ll tone it down next time.” He softly bit the finger Jensen was still pressing to his mouth. “Forgive me now?”

He realized it was probably not as grovelly as Jensen wanted, but he’d have to live with it.

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He yanked his finger out of Jared’s mouth. “But you’re making this up to me.”

“What do you want?”

Jensen turned around and walked away. “Be creative,” he called over his shoulder. “And don’t even think about flowers or jewelry!”

With three long strides, Jared caught up with Jensen and pulled him back against his chest. He nosed down Jensen’s neck, pressed a gentle kiss right next to his collar. “Where are you going, sweetheart? I thought you wanted me to make this up to you?”

“This is not being creative,” Jensen said, but he was already leaning back against Jared.

“You have no idea what I’m gonna do to you.” He wrapped his hands around Jensen’s hips, pulled his ass flush against his cock.

“Well,” Jensen drawled out the word. “I guess we’ll see about that.”

Jared thought about the box buried in their closet under his socks that he’d been saving for a special occasion and grinned against Jensen’s neck. Victory.


	2. What's In The Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After flirting with another guy in a bar, Jared tries making amends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone in this bar. Seriously, I continue to be absolutely amazed that you guys are willing to stick with me through rambling my way through this verse. So I wanted to post some schmoopy love for Valentine’s Day, to show my love for you guys, but work and life happened. But better late than never, right? Anyway, people kept asking what’s in the box and I thought, well what _is_ in the box? And well. Jared is only human. And sometimes a little… conceited maybe? So. This is what’s in the box. But fear not, this story is still about love, and it’s still schmoopy, eventually, and they’re still idiots in love.
> 
> Many, many thanks to ilikaicalie and masja_17 for their tireless efforts to get rid of as many of my mistakes as they can.

As Jensen was lying on his back, sweat-drenched, limbs feeling like jelly, ass twinging with that pleasantly painful throb of a good hard fuck, and still catching his breath, he considered giving Jared an out.

After all, Jared had pulled out all the stops. Jensen craned his head to the side. His alarm clock said three-thirty. So yeah, Jared had just spent the last four hours fucking him stupid. Jensen had come three times, had begged and screamed himself hoarse, and he hadn’t felt this good after sex in a while.

And Jared did get points for creativity for the toys, he did. Jensen had never brought up anything but the restraints because he wasn’t sure how Jared would handle the competition of a toy. But the vibrator he’d slid up Jensen’s ass while he was quite literally blowing his mind proved different. Not to mention the vibrating cock ring; that was pretty awesome.

And strategically speaking, Jensen needed to forgive Jared anyway. And yet, something in him was still bristling, still angry.

He was here. Because he had to be. But he was long past that. He was here because he wanted to be here. He was still playing the game, but the rules had changed a long time ago. Jared didn’t know anything had changed for Jensen, and it was unfair to put that on him, but every betrayal cut deeper. Every careless fuck, every time Jared ignored what Jensen wanted, the wedding negotiations; every time Jared didn’t sacrifice as Jensen did—and now, he’d flirted with some random guy at the Nine.

Jensen knew he was being ridiculous. He _knew_ he was. It hadn’t been serious. But Jensen was hurt. And Jared thought he could fix this with _sex_.

Hell no.

“So,” Jensen said, still trying to get his breathing back under control, “not that I’m complaining because this was like, in the top twenty of the best fucks we’ve ever had, but it’s not really that creative to blow my mind with orgasms.”

Jared turned to look at him. His hair was darkened and curling with sweat and his cheeks were still slightly flushed with exertion. “Are you kidding me? You loved every fucking second of it. Top twenty.” Jared snorted. “You couldn’t even string words together in the end anymore. You basically blacked out after round number two. How was this not in the top ten at least?”

“Oh my God.” Jensen rubbed the bridge of his nose. “First of all, it’s not only the mechanics that make great sex but also the emotions, asshole. Yeah, I’d give this a ten for technique, but maybe a six-point five when it comes to intimacy. Secondly, sex toys don’t count as creative, I’m sorry, but not in a three-year relationship where we’ve already done the whole bondage, roleplay thing.” Jensen shot Jared a dark look. “Especially not when said sex toys have been sitting in the closet, _clearly_ bought for a different occasion.”

Jared let himself fall back into the pillows and blew out a long-suffering breath.

“Ha!” Jensen poked him in the side, making him flinch. “You know I’m right.”

“Fine,” Jared grumbled. “You know, you used to be much more agreeable after I fucked your brains out.”

Languidly, Jensen stretched. “Yeah, well, the novelty kinda wore off. Also, and I can’t believe I have to say this, but emotions, babe, they’re a thing.”

Jared sat up straight in the bed, incredulously staring down at Jensen. “Are you seriously going to lecture me about emotions? _You_? Who used to run away at the smallest hint of any serious display of affection, who didn’t want to settle down, who deflected any kind of serious conversation with snark, and who only considered marriage in the face of almost death?” Jared’s eyebrows rose higher with every question until they disappeared under the hair falling into his face. “You’re going to lecture me about emotions?”

“Hey, I’ve gotten better about that, okay?” Jensen made a face. “It’s a process.“

“Fucking unbelievable.” With choppy movements, Jared threw back the sheets and got up, walking gloriously naked towards the bathroom. His dark expression kept Jensen from enjoying the view. Jared was serious. Any teasing was gone from this conversation.

“What?” Jensen fought into a half upright position.

Jared spun around, broad chest heaving. “I know I screwed up last night, but you don’t get to pull the emotions card, not when I had to pry every single emotion out of you. Not when half the time you’d only give it up after I fucked you stupid.” Jared turned around and stalked off into the bathroom.

The shower turned on seconds later.

Jensen let himself fall back into the bed. Well fuck. Jared, of course, had a point. Jensen had been fairly secretive and emotionally unavailable in the beginning. Jensen just couldn’t tell him why. He rubbed his face. Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

With a groan, Jensen got out of the bed and slowly padded over to the bathroom. Jared hadn’t closed the door entirely, and Jensen walked into the already steam-filled room.

Jared liked his showers hot when he wasn’t sharing with Jensen, so Jared was already a hazy silhouette in the big shower, glass walls wet, and steam distorting the view.

Jensen opened the door and followed him inside. Jared didn’t turn around, but after a moment he turned down the temperature. Jensen stepped up to Jared’s back, wrapped his arms around his midsection and rested his cheek against the space between Jared’s shoulder blades. And waited.

“Unbelievable.” Jared’s voice was low, but this time the word was clearly directed at himself, and Jensen quickly bit back his smile when Jared turned and allowed Jensen to lean against his chest.

“I can’t change the way I was in the beginning,” Jensen said while the warm water hit Jared’s back, running down his back and chest, slowly reaching Jensen’s body. “And I’m not going to apologize for it. I didn’t know you then, and I had to protect myself. I never had anyone who protected me, I’ve been alone my entire life. This, with you, it was new. And it was hard to trust.”

He looked up at Jared. Jared’s eyes were dark, unreadable. Steam was filling the shower enclosure while they were motionless under the soft water stream. Jared had already soaped himself up and the fresh, spicy scent of his body wash was heavy in the air. It was like a cocoon, far away from the outside world. From what was real.

Jensen sighed, pressed his face into Jared’s chest, listened to his heartbeat, steady and strong. “And it was hard to accept,” he slowly continued. He didn’t know where the words were coming from, had never said them before, had never given the lurking thoughts concrete form; but the realization had been there for a while now. “It was hard to accept, that maybe you could give me the things I wanted. That it turned out I needed. I didn’t only have to start loving you, Jared. I had to accept this side of me that I didn’t know I had.”

One of Jared’s big hands slid up Jensen’s back, cradled his neck, soft pressure that made Jensen look up into Jared’s face.

“I’m glad you did, baby.” Jared kissed him, soft and wet with the shower’s water pattering down on them.

“I know I’m not always easy. And I know that sometimes it’s more of a challenge than you like,” Jensen said hoarsely, closing his eyes and pushing up on his tiptoes to kiss Jared thoroughly. “I’m glad you always put up with me. I really am.”

“I know,” Jared said between kisses and pulled him in tighter.

It was a long time until they got around to actually washing their hair.

Out of the shower, in the cool, clear air of the bedroom, their conversation lingered heavy between them, oppressing in a way that made Jensen tense. And he wanted to stay quiet, wanted to keep the peace, wanted to give Jared this, but—

“This still doesn’t mean you’re off the hook, you know that, right?”

Jared looked at him, smirked, full-dimpled and loose-shouldered. “Wouldn’t want you any other way, sweetheart.”

It made Jensen’s heart so full, he wanted to kiss Jared stupid. Instead, he just rolled his eyes and started to get dressed. But a moment later, Jared was there, plastered to his back, kissing his neck until Jensen turned around and into the kiss. They stumbled because Jensen’s pants were down around his ankles and Jared only had one arm through his shirt, and they ended up laughing and almost face-planting into the bed.

Then Jared’s stomach grumbled violently.

Jensen laughed even more. “Yeah, okay, we should get you some food. You worked hard today, you deserve it.”

“Thanks, sweetheart, I appreciate that. Steak?”

“If we go to Marty’s, then yes.”

“You know,” Jared said slowly. “If we go without Chad and Mike, they’re going to be eternally sad.”

Jensen raised his eyebrows at Jared.

Jared spread his hands placatingly. “Hey, I think it’s unfair that I’m the only one who has to suffer here.”

Jensen threw his head back and laughed. “Fine. Call them.”

If Chad and Mike had been dogs, they would’ve come into the restaurant with their ears down and their tails between their legs. Jensen couldn’t hide his smirk.

It put both of them on high alert.

“Look, before you say anything,” Chad started, “yes, the guy was with the girl I was hitting on. So technically, it was my fault that the situation developed in the first place.”

Mike nodded along.

“But we all know that there’s really nothing we can make Jared do. Or stop him from doing.”

Mike kept nodding.

Jensen raised a sharp eyebrow and looked at Jared. Jared narrowed his eyes at Chad and put an arm around Jensen.

Chad swallowed.

Jensen let him sweat for a moment, then he carefully, pointedly, removed Jared’s arm from his shoulder. “Remember that you’re not off the hook yet.”

That moment, the waitress appeared. They ordered, and the waitress picked up on the mood at the table. Everyone at Marty’s steakhouse knew them, so no one ever bothered them when things got serious.

Jensen managed to keep his bitchy expression in place for one more minute of tense silence, then he started laughing.

Obviously relieved, Chad and Mike laughed along with them. Jensen abruptly stopped, picked up his steak knife, and pointed it at them. “Okay, listen up.”

Chad and Mike sobered immediately.

“I love you guys and I know this is not your fault. But if this ever happens again, I expect you to punch Jared in the face until he comes back to his senses. Otherwise, I’m holding you complicit. Got it?”

Instead of the fearful assent he’d kind of expected, they both gave him big dopey grins.

“What?” Jensen asked sharply.

“You said you love us,” Mike said.

Chad nodded. “No take-backs.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “That should not be your takeaway here.”

“Don’t worry,” Mike said severely. “If he does it again, if it’s ever serious, you won’t even have to ask.”

Jared narrowed his eyes at Mike and Mike looked back at him evenly, didn’t even blink. The humor was abruptly gone from the situation.

Jensen was at a loss for words.

In the end, Jared inclined his head. “If it’s ever serious, I’ll deserve it.”

It was only half an acquiescence, but that was half more than Jensen had expected. Jensen helplessly looked at Mike, still not sure what to say. Not that he’d be able to speak, with the giant lump in his throat.

Chad reached over to pat Jensen’s hand. “We love you too, dummy.”

“You’re all crazy,” Jensen finally managed to say which earned him a full round of indulgent smiles.

Then Chad launched into the tale of the girl he’d hit on after Jensen had left, Jared put his arm back around Jensen, and Mike pushed the breadbasket towards Jensen.

Jensen leaned into Jared and told his traitorous heart not to make a bigger deal out of it than it was.

Two weeks later, Jensen came back from a short trip to Cincinnati. Jared was waiting for him on the veranda, the table set for dinner for two. Sam had made one of Jensen’s favorite dishes, butter-poached sole with rosemary potatoes. Jared was much more of a meat man, preferred salmon whenever they had fish, so he must have explicitly told Sam to make sole for Jensen. He’d also had apparently ordered another crate of the pinot Jensen had fallen in love with at the last wine tasting they’d attended.

But Jared didn’t say anything, just asked him about his trip. Jensen told him about how he’d stopped at the old cemetery for a stroll to stretch his legs after the long drive, and then how he’d scouted the mansion the first night. He’d done some more touristy sightseeing the next day and then broken into Mr. and Mrs. Rockford’s house to relieve them of the Manet Rockford had bought on the black market a year ago.

Jensen didn’t advertise this with most of his fellow thieves, but whenever he got wind of where a black market sale had ended up, Jensen picked that as his target. People generally didn’t go to the police when one of their illegally acquired possessions was stolen.

“Do you want to sell it?” Jared asked.

“Eventually.” Jensen polished off the last of the sauce with a piece of bread. “I’m gonna let it blow over, see how big the ripples are. It’s going to be easier to sell if people don’t connect the dots.”

Jared’s expression was strangely pensive.

“What?” Jensen asked.

“Have you ever kept anything you’ve stolen?”

“No.”

Jared tilted his head. “Why not?”

Because I couldn’t, would be the real answer, even though Jensen realized that hadn’t been true in a long time. No one was monitoring what he did anymore, it would be easy to squirrel something away that wasn’t just money.

But he couldn’t tell Jared that.

So he just shrugged. “I started because I needed the money. And yeah, I have my favorites now, but that was never what it was about. That wasn’t my life. And I wasn’t ever really long enough in one place to decorate anyway.”

“Except now you could.” Jared gave him a look, half-frustrated, half-imploring. “This is your home now too, Jensen. And if you want to redecorate, if you want to hang paintings, you can do that.”

Jensen swallowed. He’d never thought about it because he’d always known this could only be temporary. But Jared didn’t know that. So Jensen cleared his throat and said, “well, I do think the bedroom could use new carpet and I’m not a fan of how the closet is set up.”

“The closet’s easy to fix, but what’s wrong with the carpet?” Jared asked incredulously.

Jensen pulled up his patented Campbell-disgust. He didn’t have to reach far because that carpet was truly horrendous. “It’s beige, Jared. _Beige_.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll call someone Monday, set up a meeting. But I’m serious, sweetheart, whatever you want to hang—”

“It’s not… it’s my job.” Jensen shrugged again. “I don’t know, I can’t explain it.”

“You hung the sketch.”

Jared had given him a Van Gogh sketch of The Bedroom during their honeymoon and Jensen had hung it in his basement office.

“Yeah, but that’s different. That was a gift. I didn’t steal that.”

Jared’s expression brightened.

Jensen narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“I’m gonna have Katie call the interior decorator on Monday. For now…”

Jared stood and stretched out a hand to Jensen. Confused, Jensen took it, let Jared pull him up and inside to the couch.

There was a package on the coffee table, wrapped in blue paper.

“What’s this?”

“You said I’d have to get creative.” Jared motioned for him to open it, face openly pleased.

Art then.

“I did say that,” Jensen said slowly.

After Jared had flirted with a guy at the Nine, Jared still owed Jensen a makeup present. Except that art wasn’t very creative.

Jensen sat down on the couch anyway and reached for the package. It wasn’t big, twenty by twenty-five inches maybe and about five inches high. It could contain a painting, but also a small statue.

Jensen unwrapped it, opened the top. He pulled back the wrapping paper inside and saw the top of a small rectangular canvas.

Silver lid, red background, white lettering.

A Campbell soup can print. Well. Jared got points for trying.

“Beautiful. Expensive. Even thoughtful. But creative?” Jensen shot Jared a derisive look. “Come on, this is way too obvious. Maybe the third time will be the charm.”

But Jared just tilted his head, clearly waiting for Jensen to finish unwrapping.

Jensen huffed out a breath. “Alright. I mean, it’s not that I’m not grateful. This is awesome, obviously, but...”

The words died on his tongue when he pulled back the wrapping paper and saw what kind of soup it was.

Cream of mushroom.

Jensen stared, couldn’t move.

Cream of mushroom.

It had been about a month after Jensen told Jared the story of his name, how he’d picked Campbell because of the soup cans of his childhood, ordinary, cheap things that could be turned into expensive art. They were out for dinner and Jensen ordered mushroom cream soup at the fancy French restaurant as his appetizer. Jared had raised his eyebrows and said, “I didn’t think you liked soup all that much.”

Jensen shrugged and told the truth once again. “My mom always hated mushrooms, so this was probably the only kind we never had. It’s the only kind I really like now.”

And now, over a year later, Jared remembered. The asshole had remembered and had made sure to track down a mushroom cream soup print.

Jensen kept staring at the print.

Such a small, insignificant detail, until now Jensen had forgotten he’d even told Jared. But Jared hadn’t.

Getting him a painting, getting him a Campbell soup can wasn’t creative. Not at all. But this. To remember _this_.

“You fucking asshole.”

Jensen blinked furiously against the sting in his eyes and looked at Jared. He almost expected a smug smile, but instead, Jared’s face was nothing but sincere.

He pulled Jensen in, tenderly, carefully, and pressed an almost chaste kiss to his mouth. “I love you, baby. Always. Even if you can’t always see it.”

Jensen took a moment to carefully put the print on the table, then he flung himself into Jared’s arms. And Jared was there to catch him. Jensen scrambled to get into Jared’s lap, needed to be close, right now. Needed to feel him everywhere, with every part of his body.

He lined them up, straddling Jared’s legs, chest against chest, got his hands into Jared’s hair and pulled him in for a messy kiss. And Jared just wrapped his long arms right around Jensen’s back, covered as much of him as he could, slid one hand up and against Jensen’s neck, held him tight.

Undressing was difficult because Jensen refused to let go, but he wasn’t satisfied with anything but having Jared inside of him.

He rode Jared greedily, closely, didn’t let him go. And Jared treated him in kind. He kept his arms around Jensen’s back, splayed his hands across Jensen’s shoulders and the small of his back, pulled him in and buried his face in the crook of his shoulders, licked and bit at the skin.

Jensen pushed down, more grinding down on Jared’s dick than anything else, but when he tilted his hips forward and arched back in the safe circle of Jared’s arms, he slipped in even deeper and Jensen could feel Jared, all the way inside of him, hot and hard.

Jared groaned and bit at Jensen’s throat, his fingers leaving bruises all over Jensen’s skin. Jensen’s dick was trapped between their stomachs, but they were so close, the friction was enough. When Jared nailed his sweet spot, holding him so close that they were breathing the same air, Jensen came with a bitten-off moan all over them, slumping into Jared’s chest while his heart hammered like crazy.

“Sweetheart.” Jared’s voice was low, urgent.

“Yeah,” Jensen reached for Jared’s shoulders, held on tight. “Yeah, come on.”

Jared groaned, half-strained, half-relieved and flipped them over, pressed Jensen into the pillows. He pushed one of Jensen’s legs up, shoved in deep and stayed close, blanketing Jensen’s body completely. Jensen reached for Jared’s shoulder and his hair, held Jared even closer, and with a few violent strokes, Jared came deep inside of him.

Jared was still panting while the sweat was cooling on their skin, busy catching his breath, so Jensen reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and pulled it over them.

“So,” Jared said, still out of breath. “Forgiven?”

It took Jensen a moment to remember what Jared meant.

“Yeah. You did good, babe.”

Jared pulled out and got comfortable half on top of Jensen, half-pressed to his side, head on Jensen’s shoulder so Jensen could play with his hair.

“I think I want to hang the print in the bedroom,” Jensen said.

“We can hang it wherever you want,” Jared said lazily. “As I said, it’s your house too.”

“You’re going to regret that,” Jensen tried to joke, but it came out a little weak.

Jared just reached for Jensen’s free hand, held it tight. “Never.”

“I love you,” Jensen said in response. Because there was nothing else he could say.

**Author's Note:**

> You can come find me on tumblr [here](http://ashtraythief.tumblr.com/) and on twitter [here.](https://twitter.com/ashtraythief) My ask box is always open.


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